In Thursday's edition of the Exponent, the letter "Reader backs bestiality, pedophilia" should have been attributed to Aaron Connor, who is a sophomore in the School of Science. The Exponent apologizes for the error.

Columnist should check facts

Olivia Conroy's April 13 column, "Local restaurants lack diversity," should read "Local columnist lacks knowledge." She is obviously too busy frequenting these chain restaurants she disdains to take a look around and support local businesses. She accused students of being apathetic toward "new and interesting places," such as Thatsa Wrapp (not "It's a Wrap", Ms. Conroy), without dong a two-minute Internet search which would indicate that Thatsa Wrapp is one of those chains she allegedly hates.

In doing a little more research by actually going into one of these restaurants she supposedly supports, she would find out that Bombay had been around for years. In addition to the one near campus, its larger restaurant in Lafayette is fairly busy every night and often packed on weekends. Many of the customers are Purdue students and faculty. Where are you, Ms. Conroy?

We urge everyone to acknowledge that we may not have a plethora of diversity, but it is there if you look. Ms. Conroy obviously hasn't even looked at a phone book under "restaurants." She wants sushi? What about Heisei or Kokoro? They have great food. In addition to the above Indian and Japanese restaurants, there is Mexican (Little Mexico 2, El Rodeo, Taqueria Guadalajara), Chinese (China Garden), and Italian (LaScala).

So, while Ms. Conroy is attempting to squelch the little ethnically diverse cuisine that is in the town by ignorantly publishing that it doesn't exist, don't bother looking, we prefer to promote it and want people to support it in hopes of paving the way for future restaurants.

And by the way, Ms. Conroy, Purdue would be very surprised to learn that there's not a large number of liberal arts students. The School of Liberal Arts is one of Purdue's largest. Again, a two-minute search is all it takes.

Stacia Pleasants

graduate student

Ian Thompson

graduate student

People should not categorize gays

In response to James May's letter on Monday, I would like to offer some dissenting views. May suggests that violence against homosexuals can be expected since homosexuals don't take responsibility for their actions. He then corresponds this with the fact that 50 years ago, homosexuality was considered a disease. I would like to remind Mr. May that 50 years ago, this line of thinking also took place when a man and a woman of two different "races" found love. I thank God this area of prejudice has been lessened. I thank God that homosexuals continue to strive to lessen the prejudice of our battle. In fact, we are taking responsibility for your actions of intolerance and hatred by educating people to look past socially constructed boundaries.

Another hasty generalization made by May was the lumping of homosexuals into a category consisting of child molesters, rapists and cocaine addicts. This lumping was fueled by May's insistence on homosexuality being a lifestyle of choice, as well as the other "lifestyles" listed above. Child molesters and rapists have psychological and/or physical disorders revolving around sex. Am I to understand that all homosexuals do is have sex? I hope Mr. May is not that naïve. And drug abuse is an addiction — the medical community does not recognize homosexuality as an addiction or disorder.

Finally, May ends by describing the homosexual movement for acceptance as a way to lessen our guilt of moral degeneracy when all we do is try to find a way to coexist, have equal rights, and find a place within a society that houses us both. There will always be people against homosexuals and I respect the right to their opinions, such as Mr. May's. I just hope that respect is mutual.

Chad Sullivan

junior, School of Liberal Arts

Student supports determination

I applaud the staunch determination exhibited by the hunger strikers in opposition of sweatshops. I do not applaud their goal, however. The Students Against Sweatshops want President Steven Beering to join the Worker Rights Consortium, but just what is this coalition going to do for sweatshop workers? Are they secret police who will go around to every sweatshop and liberate these workers? Does the coalition pay dues that therefore subsidize the workers? I just don’t understand how Beering's refusal to join is causing workers to suffer, which is what these opposers have been printing on their fliers. I ask them, where were the clothes you are wearing made? Do you carefully check every label before purchasing items to make sure no child suffered in the process of making your T-shirt? I don't support this small group of students who feel they have the right to speak for everyone at Purdue. I'm not a supporter of sweatshops — I just feel that it is unfair of these students to demand that all of Purdue join this coalition when they do not represent the majority. Why not start their own faction and join the WRC themselves, then they would not have so much "red tape" to go through. Or maybe they were just protesting to have something to do with their spare time.

Marla Reyzer

sophomore, School of Liberal Arts

Bible combines reason with faith

As a Christian, I was disturbed by John Majka’s letter in the April 13 issue of the Exponent. And as a scholar, I am appalled by attacks utterly unsupported by evidence.

The letter begins and ends with a "defense" of homosexuality, a topic I won't address here, since the letter doesn’t either. Instead, the entire body of the letter is an assault on God.

Is the Bible, contrary to Mr. Majka’s claims, different from other literary classics? Yes. It was written by 35 to 40 authors, on three different continents, in three different languages, during a span of approximately 1,500 years. Yet despite these facts, supported by archaeological evidence, and despite its length of roughly 1,000 pages, it contains not a single defensible instance of contradiction. This, too, can be supported by evidence and is a fact of such magnitude that no other work can honestly make a claim on par with it.

Does Christianity destroy "reason so that it can be replaced with faith," as is stated? No. Only one of many verses on the subject, Proverbs 4:7, reads "Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost you all you have, get understanding" (New International Version). Though the argument cannot be fully developed in this forum, Christianity formed much of the impetus that drives modern science. Christianity offers the view that God created a universe of order and pattern, as well as purpose, and that man has the capability to investigate order and to discern pattern. Isaac Newton himself believed in God, and one dare not argue he had abandoned reason.

Christian faith is neither "convenient" nor "one-stop." It is instead a lifelong striving to know God, to learn to live according to His instructions and to do works that glorify Him. I invite anyone who doubts these truths to investigate them for yourself.

Kristy Scott

senior, School of Science

Editor's Note: The deadline for submitting letters to the editor for the spring semester is today. Letters submitted beyond this date will not be accepted for publication.

End of nations benefits humanity

Martins

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Purdue Exponent 2000